Page 64 of Bound

All he went through, all that’s still tearing him apart, and he’s letting me in.

So, I don’t have to find the courage, find the strength.

I can just…live.

Live the life I want and see where it takes me and trust that he won’t push me away again.

I exhale, lift my chin, straighten my shoulders and declare, “We’re doing this.”

He gently touches my cheek. “So Smitty and the guys don’t matter. I can handle them,” he adds when I start to protest. “And yeah, they’re my family too, so I don’t mean they don’t matter in our lives. I just…they don’t get to weigh in on this decision. Us first and then the rest of the world, yeah?”

My heart squeezes and I feel myself fall in love with Jackson, just a little bit, right there and then.

Hell, who am I kidding?

I’ve been half in love with him for years.

This is just me tipping over the edge, descending the slippery slope, knowing the inevitable outcome.

“You and me versus the world,” I agree.

His mouth kicks up. “Damn right, kitty cat.”

My cheeks heat. “I don’t know if I can handle you calling me that in public. Not now that I know what you mean when you say it”

“You’ll get used to it.” He leans down, kisses the top of my ear. “Especially when I worship that pussy exactly as it deserves to be worshiped.”

Weak knees. My pulse pounding in my veins.

But I don’t protest when he wraps his arm around my shoulders and draws me toward the restaurant of the hotel…

And into a head-on collision with the Breakers Gossip Train.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jackson

“Yo, asshole!”

I grind my teeth together because I was waiting for this.

Ever since breakfast at the hotel—spent with Claire at my side, feeling more settled, more secure and comfortable than I have in years, even though Smitty was glaring daggers at me—I knew this shit was coming.

I turn, snag the ball of tape out of mid-air before it smacks me in the face. “What?” I grit out, tossing it in the trash and moving to my station. I wish we were done with this road trip, wish I could bring Claire back to my place, spend hours kissing every single inch of her body.

But we have a hockey game and then a late flight home.

We’ll all be exhausted—not just us players, but also the support staff, including Luc and Claire.

I might be able to bring her home, or talk my way into her bed, but it’s going to be to sleep.

Because no way in hell is her first time going to be a quickie because we’re both running on fumes.

“What are you doing?” Smitty booms, dropping into the chair next to mine—another not fun part of being the away team? The shitty locker room digs.

I miss my cold pool and personalized cubby.

Thankfully, I don’t miss it enough to be daydreaming about that shit.

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